It is in a pairticularly isolatit location no anerlie acause it is in the middle o the Sahara Desert but an aw acause it is surroondit on three sides bi depressions – which makes it dominate the passage in east-wast land traffic athort the desert; for the colonial Italians, it wis an aw important as a station on the north-sooth air traffic tae Italian East Africae. These factors, alang wi Kufra's dominance o the sootheastren Cyrenaica region o Libie, explains the Oasis' strategic importance an why it wis a point o conflict durin Warld War II.